dogmaticdogs

I can't believe all the bad reviews, especially those relating to substance or lack thereof. It seems like many missed the point or didn't know what to expect going into the movie.

This is not a horror movie (at least not in the typical sense like Hereditary was, and which I thought was easily the best horror movie of 2018 and is by the same director) although it certainly is horrific. Rather, it is an acid-trip nightmare born from the anxiety arising from the contemplation of a life-long commitment to a mate and starting a family, and familial pressure regarding the same. Much like Rosemary's Baby was a play on female anxiety arising from one's first pregnancy, this is a journey through the cycles of human life with special emphasis on fear of commitment and what it means for one's individual identity.

The woman is portrayed as having a lot of family baggage and worried that her chosen partner's friends will not accept her, that he may be cheating on her, that her friends cannot be trusted, and that she will give up all power by continuing the relationship. Consumed with beauty and dreams of idyllic happiness replacing the chaos that is her current life. I should note that these traits are not always exhibited directly through her eyes or mouth but through the lens of her trip.

The man is portrayed as doing his best to do the right thing but still wanting the respect of his buddies, tempted by seducers, and surrounded by women that want to lock him down. One friend, a horny but hopeless geek always getting into trouble. The other, a rival.

The director doesn't pick a side (i.e., the female perspective v. the male perspective), but rather tries to show both sides fairly (including flaws) at the same time. You will have to watch the movie yourself to see who wins this power struggle for dominance and who is subsumed by the other.

Don't go in expecting a simple-minded horror movie, go in expecting to see a brilliant manifestation of the complex emotions many women and men go through when finding a mate and trying to decide whether to commit. This movie will be too raw, graphic, violent and ethereal for many, but if you don't mind that sort of thing, what a truly brilliant piece of art this is. The visuals are absolutely stunning.

I went into this movie with very low expectations as the trailer seemed rather weak, they used a child star and I was concerned they would try to temper the horror to make it kid friendly, and I thought they might try to add some comedy to the movie which I think ruins horror movies. Boy was I wrong. This was very dark, disturbing and horrifying. No happy moments, no trying to preach or trying to teach us a lesson, and no comedy, just all out horror. Thank you for making the best horror movie so far this year! Up there with Hereditary.

This film was not what I was expecting but once I understood and came to grips with the fact it was a dark comedy, in a Fargo-esque sort of way, and a parody of revenge killing films, rather than meant to be taken seriously other than for its beautiful absurdity, I started to really enjoy it.

The whole movie was fun escapism with gratuitous violence, and hyper-exaggerated cliché portrayals of Native Americans, crime bosses and average men being local heroes, etc. Not to mention an exponentially growing kill tally. What is not to love?

It was a special treat for those of us that live in Denver, as although much of the movie was supposed to take place here, none of the neighborhoods, architecture, streets, buildings, trees, landscaping, mountain ranges, etc. matched anything close to what really exists in Denver. I spent the entire movie looking for something I could place as actually being in Denver, but I came up empty. Instead, a totally fictitious version thereof was portrayed (too surreal to match any actual city I am aware of, but closer to a blend of the more affluent parts of Los Angeles and Vancouver than Denver, with world class architecture and night clubs) which fit in perfectly with the artfully crafted alternative universe intended to be created. Like the bizarre relationships between the characters, I slowly began to realize that what first appeared to be a sloppy annoyance was in fact an intentional critique of the genre and actually a quite clever game with the audience.

Many will undoubtedly knock this film for being unrealistic, absurd, over the top, culturally insensitive, and with settings that did not match named cities (at least those such as Denver that actually exist). Those people just failed to see that was the entire point. You shouldn't go in expecting to see realism, complex character development, suspense and drama, or something akin to Taken. Instead, go in expecting to see a dark comedy parody film. Think Fargo meets Peppermint, with a wink to Quentin Tarantino in honor of his impact on modern cinema.